1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a current pulse receiving circuit that coverts an input current pulse to a corresponding logic level voltage pulse and outputs the voltage pulse with an accurate pulse width. More particularly, the invention relates to a current pulse receiving circuit used, in optical communications and similar application fields, after a received light pulse is converted to a corresponding current pulse by a photodetector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent developments in the telecommunications field has seen an infrared data communications (IrDA communications) function using infrared rays to connect spaces added to portable terminals, personal computers, and cellular phones. Fiber-optic communications networks are being established to build and expand a telecommunications infrastructure.
In optical communications systems such as those noted above, sunlight, illumination by fluorescent lamps and other lighting devices, and other disturbance light are also applied to a photodiode and other types of photodetectors depending on the brightness of the environment in which the equipment is used. These disturbance lights function to energize the photodetector and allow unwanted DC current components to flow through the current pulse receiving circuit. This makes it necessary to remove these DC current components.
The light pulse signals being transmitted and received are generally burst signals whose pulse width and duty ratio vary. Because of its characteristics, the photodiode PD tends to develop rounding on a rising edge and a falling edge of a current output, resulting at times in tail dragging. Furthermore, it is common, from the viewpoint of removing DC offset components, to use a differentiated waveform which is the result of differentiating the pulse signal, which contributes to tail dragging of the output signal. A region of such tail dragging is more conspicuous when the signal has a wider pulse width, which could cause a comparator circuit or amplifier circuit to malfunction so that it inverts its output state. As a means for producing an output of a logic pulse having an accurate pulse width by preventing this malfunction and maintaining the correct output state, it has been conventional practice to add to an input signal to the comparator circuit or the amplifier circuit a hysteresis voltage or other significant differential voltage. This means also contributes to improved noise resistance.
FIG. 26 shows a current pulse receiving circuit 100 as a first related art. A light pulse is received by a photodiode PD and converted to a current pulse IPD. The current pulse IPD is applied to an input node IN of a current-to-voltage converter circuit 101A, in which it is converted to a corresponding voltage which, in turn, is applied to an inverting input terminal VM2 of an amplifier circuit 102A. Though the figure typically shows a single input terminal for the current-to-voltage converter circuit 101A, the circuit may also be configured as a differential input by using a noninput terminal as a dummy terminal or applying a complementary current pulse. A DC cancellation circuit 105A detects a DC voltage level of an output signal VM2 from the current-to-voltage converter circuit 101A and feeds it back to the input node IN of the current-to-voltage converter circuit 101A, thereby canceling DC disturbance light, such as sunlight and illuminating light, which are to be converted to corresponding current values by the photodiode PD. It sets a time constant sufficiently large with respect to the input light pulse, thereby canceling only the disturbance light components whose input frequencies are less than several kHz. The DC cancellation circuit 105A may be configured as a differential output to coincide with the differential input of the current-to-voltage converter circuit 101A.
The pulse signal converted to a corresponding voltage by the current-to-voltage converter circuit 101A is input to, and amplified by, the amplifier circuit 102A. The amplifier circuit functions to improve response in a comparator circuit 103 at a later stage. A signal is provided from a DC feedback circuit 106 to a reference voltage terminal VP2 of the amplifier circuit 102A. The DC feedback circuit 106 uses an integrating circuit C101, R101, and R102 to integrate a voltage developing at an output terminal VP3 of the amplifier circuit 102A and feeds back the resultant voltage to the reference voltage terminal VP2 of the amplifier circuit 102A, thereby improving an input offset voltage in the amplifier circuit 102A. At the same time, it follows changes in a signal input to the inverting input terminal VM2 with a lag, thus offering a function of adding hysteresis effect between input terminals.
An output from the amplifier circuit 102A is applied to the comparator circuit 103 via the output terminal VP3 and, through a comparison made with a reference voltage VTH coupled to a reference voltage terminal VM3, a positive logic pulse is output. This positive logic pulse is inverted at an inverter circuit 104 and a negative logic pulse is output from an output terminal RX as the output from the current pulse receiving circuit 100.
FIG. 27 shows a current pulse receiving circuit 200 as a second related art. It has the same basic circuit configuration as the current pulse receiving circuit 100 shown in FIG. 26. In the current pulse receiving circuit 200, the output signal from a current-to-voltage converter circuit 101B is subjected to capacitive coupling through capacitive components C102 and C103 to the input terminal of an amplifier circuit 102B, thereby improving the input offset voltage in the amplifier circuit 102B. Therefore, a DC cancellation circuit 105B also has a differential input configuration.
Like the current pulse receiving circuit 100, the DC cancellation circuit 105B functions to cancel DC offset caused by disturbance light. In addition, the input offset voltage in the amplifier circuit 102B is improved through capacitive coupling to the input terminal of the amplifier circuit 102B and, at the same time, a significant differential voltage is added between input signals through the input of a differential signal.
However, due to the tail characteristic of a current output determined by the output characteristics of the photodiode PD and a difference in tail characteristics and others in the differentiated waveform of the pulse signal, in addition to widely varying light pulse widths involved with burst signals in IrDA communications and other optical communications, it is difficult to stably establish a hysteresis voltage width sufficient to prevent erroneous outputs from the comparator circuit 103 even in the tail region of current outputs. That is, the setting value deviates between photodiodes PD that have different tail characteristics in output currents. With the differentiated waveform, too, the tail region varies for different constants of the photodiode PD and differentiating circuit and input signal amplitudes. Moreover, the tail region occurs differently according to the strength of the light pulse received, the clamp level of the current pulse IPD, and other factors. The tail characteristic is thus variable depending on the characteristics of the parts used, circuit constant of the differentiating and other circuits, and operating environment, thus presenting a problem in which it is difficult to stably provide an output with a highly accurate pulse width for a light pulse having a long pulse width.
As an example, FIG. 28 shows input and output waveforms of response of the comparator circuit 103 in the first related art. In this case, the amplifier circuit 102A provides a single output supplied to the noninverting input terminal VP3 and a signal having a predetermined hysteresis voltage width with respect to the reference voltage VTH is supplied to the reference voltage terminal VM3. A shorter current pulse IPD with respect to the predetermined hysteresis voltage width provides an output signal RX with a highly accurate pulse width. With a longer current pulse IPD, however, the input signal VP3 applied to the comparator circuit 103 as a differentiated waveform drags its tail. This causes the input relation of the comparator circuit 103 to be inverted in the middle of the input current pulse IPD width, thus inverting the output signal RX. FIG. 29 shows input and output waveforms of response of the comparator circuit 103 in the second related art. In this case, the output from the amplifier circuit 102B is a differential output, being supplied to each of the input terminals VP3 and VM3. Because it is a differential signal, the output signal RX with a highly accurate pulse width is provided with a short current pulse IPD. Since the differential signal is a differentiated waveform that drags its tail, however, the input relation of the comparator circuit 103 is inverted in the middle of the input current pulse IPD width with a longer current pulse IPD, thus inverting the output signal RX.
When adding a predetermined hysteresis voltage width to the reference voltage VTH for a single input signal as that shown in FIG. 28, an improvement can be made if the hysteresis voltage width is set large. If the hysteresis voltage width is set to a level larger than the amplitude of a small input signal, however, the set hysteresis voltage can no longer be reset, causing the output terminal RX to be locked in the set position. This presents a problem.
If the intensity of an input light pulse is high, the output voltage amplitude is clamped at the current-to-voltage converter circuits 101A and 101B. For this clamping operation, it is common to use a forward voltage of a junction in a bipolar transistor or a diode and it is therefore impossible to set the output voltage amplitude during the clamping operation to a level lower than the forward voltage of the junction. As a result, the difference from the output voltage amplitude under low intensity becomes too large, which makes the tail waveform due to photodiode PD characteristics at the trailing edge of the pulse under high intensity prominent as compared with that under a low intensity. This disables accurate detection of the trailing edge of the pulse under high intensity, causing the pulse width at the output terminal RX to be wider than it actually is.
As specific examples, FIG. 30 shows a response waveform of the amplifier circuit 102A according to the first related art, while FIG. 32 shows a response waveform of the amplifier circuit 102B according to the second related art. In both cases, a tail waveform arising from the photodiode PD output characteristics is noticeable at the trailing edge of the pulse waveform VM2, which causes the point of intersection with the reference voltage VP2 (in FIG. 30) or the complementary voltage VP2 (in FIG. 32) to lag with respect to the actual trailing edge of the light pulse, thus making the pulse width at the output terminal RX large.
Furthermore, if the intensity of the input light pulse is low, the input light pulse is not subjected to a clamping operation, letting the output characteristics of the photodiode PD be output as they are. This makes the tail waveform prominent both at the leading edge and the trailing edge of the pulse. Since the voltage difference between input signals at the leading edge of the pulse is in a direction in which there is greater potential difference, however, there is no response lag at the leading edge of the pulse at the output terminal RX. At the trailing edge of the pulse, however, the tail waveform acts to retard the intersection of input signals. Therefore, as in the case of high intensity it is not possible to accurately detect the trailing edge of the pulse, thus making the pulse width at the output terminal RX larger than it actually is.
As examples, FIG. 31 shows a response waveform of the amplifier circuit 102A according to the first related art, while FIG. 33 shows a response waveform of the amplifier circuit 102B according to the second related art. In both cases, the tail waveform arising from the photodiode PD output characteristics at the trailing edge of the pulse waveform VM2 causes the point of intersection with the reference voltage VP2 (in FIG. 31) or the complementary voltage VP2 (in FIG. 33) to lag with respect to the actual trailing edge of the light pulse, thus making the pulse width at the output terminal RX large.
In optical communications including the IrDA communications covering also the infrared region, the light pulse signals transmitted and received are generally burst signals with varying pulse widths and duty ratios. Furthermore, the intensity of the light being transmitted varies greatly depending on the transmission distance and transmission environment of the light pulse signals. A problem therefore exists in which an accurate pulse width cannot be output with varying pulse widths and varying light intensities as noted above.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a current pulse receiving circuit that converts a current pulse, which has been converted by a photodetector from a light pulse received in optical communications, to a corresponding logic level voltage pulse and outputs the voltage pulse with an accurate pulse width.
To achieve the foregoing object, one aspect of the invention provides a current pulse receiving circuit comprising a current-to-voltage converter portion that converts an input current pulse to a corresponding voltage pulse, a comparator circuit that compares an output signal from the current-to-voltage converter portion with a signal complementary to the output signal or a reference voltage and outputs a logic signal pulse, a first hysteresis circuit that sets a hysteresis voltage of a first predetermined width to the comparator circuit input signal based on the logic signal pulse, and a second hysteresis circuit that sets a hysteresis voltage that decreases with time from a second predetermined width.
In the current pulse receiving circuit, when the comparator circuit outputs a logic signal pulse after an input current pulse has been converted to a corresponding voltage pulse by the current-to-voltage converter portion, a hysteresis voltage of the first predetermined width set by the first hysteresis circuit is added to, and then a hysteresis voltage that decreases with time from the second predetermined width and is set by the second hysteresis circuit is superimposed over, the input signal based on the logic signal pulse.
Therefore, if the first predetermined width of the hysteresis voltage is set by the first hysteresis circuit and the second predetermined width and the rate of decrease with time are set by the second hysteresis circuit so that an ample hysteresis voltage width is provided for the maximum pulse width in the voltage pulse converted from the input current pulse, it is then possible to set a hysteresis voltage width sufficient for voltage pulses of all pulse widths. If the receiving circuit is applied to optical communications including IrDA communications, it is possible to stably set a hysteresis voltage width sufficient for preventing the comparator circuit from producing an erroneous output even in the tail region by absorbing variations in the output characteristics of the photodiode that converts a light pulse to a corresponding current pulse and in the tail characteristics in a differentiated waveform of the pulse signal, in addition to widely varying light pulse widths involved with the burst signals. In particular, a highly accurate output pulse width can be stably output over a pulse range of the longest pulse width as determined according to the settings of the second predetermined width and the rate of decrease with time made by the second hysteresis circuit. The receiving circuit is suitable for use in optical communications including the IrDA communications, in which the longest input light pulse width is fixed.
While retaining the sum of the first predetermined width and the second predetermined width immediately after they have been set, the hysteresis voltage width gradually decreases with time and eventually diminishes to the first predetermined width. The problem, in which a set hysteresis voltage cannot be canceled and the output terminal is locked in a set position, can therefore be prevented by setting the first predetermined width to an amplitude of that less than a small-amplitude input signal.
Another aspect of the invention provides a current pulse receiving circuit comprising a current-to-voltage converter circuit that converts an input current pulse to a corresponding voltage pulse, a large signal detection circuit that detects that the voltage amplitude of the output signal from the current-to-voltage converter circuit is equal to or greater than a predetermined amplitude, and a clamp circuit that reduces a current-to-voltage conversion resistance in the current-to-voltage converter circuit and reduces the clamp level of the output voltage amplitude according to the output signal from the large signal detection circuit.
In the current pulse receiving circuit according to the second aspect of the invention, when the large signal detection circuit detects that the voltage amplitude of the voltage pulse converted from the input current pulse by the current-to-voltage converter circuit is equal to or greater than a predetermined amplitude, the clamp circuit reduces the clamp level of the output voltage amplitude, while at the same time reducing the current-to-voltage conversion resistance in the current-to-voltage converter circuit.
If the voltage amplitude of the voltage pulse of the output signal from the current-to-voltage converter circuit is found to be equal to or greater than a predetermined amplitude, the current-to-voltage conversion resistance is reduced. This allows the change in the voltage amplitude of the output voltage to be controlled at a low level with respect to the change in the current amplitude in the input current pulse, thus enabling conversion to a voltage signal with an accurate pulse width over a current amplitude range of wider input current pulses whose amplitudes are equal to or greater than a predetermined level. Moreover, reducing the clamp level of the output voltage amplitude permits limitation of the maximum voltage amplitude, which allows an input current pulse with a large amplitude to be converted to a voltage pulse signal with a highly accurate pulse width.
Since the output voltage amplitude is also restricted to a small level for an input current pulse of a large amplitude, the tail waveform in an output voltage signal presents no problem. The trailing edge of an input current pulse of a large amplitude can be accurately detected, thus realizing an output of a pulse width with high accuracy.
In addition to strong and weak light pulse signals involved with the IrDA communications and other forms of optical communications, variations in the output characteristics of the photodiode PD that converts a light pulse to a corresponding current pulse and in tail characteristics in a differentiated waveform of the pulse signal are absorbed, thus allowing an output pulse width to be stably output in accurate correspondence with the pulse width of the input light pulse.
A current pulse receiving circuit according to still another aspect of the invention comprises a current-to-voltage converter circuit that converts an input current pulse to a corresponding voltage pulse, an amplifier circuit of a differential input configuration that performs amplification according to the output signal from the current-to-voltage converter circuit, a buffer circuit of a differential output configuration that is inserted between the current-to-voltage converter circuit and the amplifier circuit, and a differentiating circuit that differentiates an inverted output from the buffer circuit and supplies it to a node having a high impedance in the other input signal line in the amplifier circuit.
In the current pulse receiving circuit according to the third aspect of the invention, the output signal from the current-to-voltage converter circuit as converted from an input current pulse to a corresponding voltage pulse is input to the amplifier circuit of the differential input configuration through the buffer circuit of the differential output configuration. The inverted output from the buffer circuit is then differentiated by the differentiating circuit and supplied to a high-impedance node in the other input signal line in the amplifier circuit.
The inverting signal of the pulse signal is thus differentiated and a signal having a steep differentiated waveform at a transition portion of the pulse signal is input to the other input signal line of the amplifier circuit. Since the node, in which the differentiated signal is input, has a high impedance, the differentiated signal is properly superimposed. This signal and the input pulse signal are input to the amplifier circuit, thus giving a hysteresis effect on the side emphasizing the pulse signal at the transition portion of the pulse signal.
Even if a current pulse with a rounded pulse transition portion is input, therefore, a differentiated waveform of the inverting signal serves as a hysteresis waveform, thus sufficiently providing hysteresis effects and producing a pulse output with a highly accurate pulse width.
If a light pulse of a small amplitude is input in an IrDA communications or other form of optical communications, and even if rounding occurs in a transition portion of a current pulse as a result of predominant output characteristics of a photodiode and the like, an output with an accurate pulse width can still be obtained.
The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.